World Day for Decent Work - End Corporate Greed - Respect and End Violence

Barbados
(Caribbean)

The Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU) acknowledged the theme "End Corporate Greed". However, the Union used the occasion of World Day for Decent Work 2015 to deal with issues of respect and violence. The action targeted one of largest divisions, workers in public transport at The Transport Board since it is widely observed that while cost efficiency and profitability is foremost among the objectives of the Ministry of Transport, the promotion of decent work for transport workers has been neglected.

Increases in physical violence against bus drivers caused a contingent of shop stewards, accompanied with officers from the BWU to spend the day visiting the island’s five bus terminals/depots where they spoke to workers and management about their particular issues. In the bus terminals, the group used the Company’s public address system to address commuters waiting for buses, and those getting off buses about the need to respect the drivers and the property of the company. Posters were developed and mounted on the walls of all the terminals and members of the team interacted with transport workers, including the terminal managers, and with members of the public who were waiting for buses.

At the end of the day, the team agreed that from the reports they had received from managers and workers during the visits to the terminals, the escalation of violence against bus drivers needed further attention. A recommendation would be made to the Executive Council to launch a campaign to end the violence; targeting the concerns of workers in both public and private transport.

Transport Board Drivers

Attached is a picture of some of the Transport Board drivers showing their support for World Day for Decent Work before distributing flyers to commuters.